Section 6 — Visits

Part of Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:00 pm on 15 February 2007.

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Photo of Lewis Macdonald Lewis Macdonald Labour 3:00, 15 February 2007

Although I acknowledge the value of Jean Turner's experience and recognise that it will often be the case that a GP is an appropriate person to be involved, I share Euan Robson's reservations. As he said, at stage 2 the Health Committee considered whether a doctor should be present for all visits under section 6. Amendment 1 would require a GP to attend when a visit was prompted by concerns about a person's well-being and would mean that reasonable steps would have to be taken to ensure that the GP was from the adult's practice.

Section 8 already provides that the primary person sent by the council may be a health professional and that no one other than a health professional can conduct a medical examination of an adult who may be at risk. It quite deliberately allows flexibility in the choice of who that health professional should be. On occasion, the best person will be the adult's GP or another GP who is registered at the same practice. However, in other cases the health professional with whom the adult is most familiar and who can most readily assist them will be a district nurse or mental health professional. In those circumstances, that person's presence would be more appropriate, therefore we should retain the flexibility that the bill currently provides.

On that basis, I ask Dr Turner to seek leave to withdraw amendment 1.